"Velorukh" is the first comprehensive publication about the phenomenon of modern cycling culture in Ukraine. Illustrated stories about cycling trips, races and cycling clubs, iconic cycling cafes and workshops. The book also talks about members of the cycling community who defend Ukraine, and about the role of the bicycle during the war, which gives a chance to move where it is difficult to move.
The book consists of four parts:
Travel: a cycling guide to the regions, which gives an understanding that you can go almost anywhere by bike in Ukraine, you just need to choose the right type of bike and the route.
Sports: an overview of the types of cycling that are common in Ukraine and the key races in which you can participate.
The Bike and the City: stories of iconic cycling locations and events that bring the cycling community together and can be of interest to the wider public.
Bicycling in Wartime: Stories of How the Bicycle Became Indispensable in Newly De-Occupied Towns and Villages.
Illustrations: a separate block with the works of modern Ukrainian illustrators: Romana Ruban, Natali Shulga, Serhiy Maidukova and others.
More than 70 authors, photographers and illustrators, somehow connected with Ukrainian cycling culture, contributed to the creation of the book.
About the compilers
Yuriy Makalis, an Odesa resident who loved bicycles in all their forms and sizes since childhood: from a small three-wheeler, to "Skolyar", "Salyut" and finally the first aluminum Specialized already in his student years. Since 2012, he has been a member of the oldest bicycle club in Odesa, "Athlet". He traveled a lot and explored different parts of the world by bicycle and as a boat driver: from Hawaii to Alaska, from Norway to Australia. After returning to Odesa, he joined the "Southern Cycling League", which organizes local and international road races. One of my favorite activities is photographing cycling races and everything related to cycling. In 2022, he won one of the most prestigious photo contests in the world in the field of cycling photography — the Mark Gunter Photo Awards.
Maria Shevchenko, IT entrepreneur and co-founder of the charity fund "Maya". The acquaintance with cycling began with trips with friends around Kyiv on a rare Botteccia in 2012. Participant and prize-winner of highway cycling competitions, member of the "Echelon" cycling club. Organizer of a series of events for the cycling community "1ChSS party" and co-author of the first Ukrainian cycling podcast Rotor and Glitter.
